Statistics show that men who have sex with men— whether they identify as gay, bisexual, or other— have a higher risk of contracting an STD than any demographic, but many factors other than the specifics of how sex goes down in the bedroom contribute to this increased risk. Economic and societal factors such as income, the effects of emotional support on risk taking, and the power and privilege structures of society have all been found to play a role in the likelihood of succumbing to an STD, especially HIV.

All sexually transmitted diseases can lead to serious health risks if left untreated, but typically the more worrisome STDs are caused by viruses. Not to downplay how dangerous STDs can be, but the “4 H’s” are the sexually transmitted diseases that typically warrant the most fear and dread.
The Four H’s are all viral STDs: Herpes, Human papillomavirus (HPV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Hepatitis C.